One of my greatest passions regarding fashion has definitely got to be reworking and old or vintage piece into something modern, fresh and exciting.

My friends think I’m a nutcase when i rummage through the racks at the thrift stores, mumbling to myself and proclaiming my grand vision of couture for an old pair of leather high-waited shorts.

Little do they know… something awesome is a-brewin’… Something new, something inexpensive, something unique and more importantly something not fresh off the Forever-21 assembly line of mass-produced bubble dresses.

I’ll be the first to admit- I have the problem of hoarding clothes. I dont really see it as much of a problem except when finding people to help me move. (Specifically people who dont judge/lecture me when they make 10 trips in and out of the apt with just clothes and shoes!)

See, the great thing about my clothes hoarding is i have two decades of fantastic styles and fabrics to rework. There are a few things– the sparkly green and pink club pants from when I was 18– that simply go in the archive for posterity, (“can you believe you mom wore these?!”). Then there are the gems: the classic pieces, the pieces that are suddenly back in style after 10 years and the items that are so vanilla you’d never be able to tell just what decade they’re from.

Such is this dress below. I ordered it from (get this) Fredericks of Hollywood for less than 20 bucks about 7 or 8 years ago. It’s just a plain black knit dress with a drape neckline, one flutter sleeve and a scoop back. Add a gold chain on the strap, alter the sleeve slightly, pull the neckline diagonal and bam!

Hotness.

I’m currently sketching out some new clothing projects and working on some hand-made headbands for my holiday soirees (if i get invited to any! ha!) I will certainly update you of the progress. I find it hard to keep the excitement to myself!

seriously… dont even get me started on my fab pair of $12 skinny jeans I recently distressed with a cheese-grater.

I’m tellin you, kids. With a few extra dollars and some imagination, your possibilities are endless. You get the satisfaction of completing a project, expressing your inner creativity (everybody has some) and totally avoid the dreaded moment of wearing the same outfit as some other heffa you cant stand- or just someone who doesnt look as good as you in it (*wink*).

Send me photos of your creations, I’d love to see them!

I happened to be flipping channels late the other night and came across the MTV Europe Music Awards.

I’m not quite sure why theyre called the Europe Music Awards, other than the reason they take place in Europe. All the winners/participants were artists that are either from the US or are big in the US. One would think they would be award those goofy M statues to actual European artists, but hell… who knows. MTV,Music Television, rarely has anything to do with music anymore, so the logic seems consistent.

Anyhow, I have to highlight one of the things that really got me excited: Leona Lewis’s ahh-mazing Vivienne Westwood dress which she wore to perform her current single, “Happy.”

Part sexy super-hero, part evil ballerina bride, all the way fly.

images: JustJared

image: def jam records

You know I have a serious love for all things Rihanna. I cant really call it a guilty pleasure, because I dont feel guilty about it!

She is a bad mamma jamma, it’s hard to deny.

The video for her first single “Russian Roulette” from her upcoming album Rated R, was just released and it is HOT!

I’m loving the neutral palette and the whole mental institution vibe of it… and of course she looks flawless as always.

I’ve been reading on a lot of different blogs that the song and the video are a bad message and encouraging suicide and all this ridiculous crap.

Hello folks, she just did a hugely publicized, nationally televised interview about domestic abuse and her situation with Chris Brown. I know we’re used to fast-food music being chewed up & fed to us, but seriously, the metaphor for this song is not hard to grasp. Of course she’s not talking about really playing Russian Roulette!

Click the photo above for a link to the video and a small write-up from MTV.com

didnt love it.

I’m talking about the new CoverGirl LashBlast Length mascara.
As a former devotee of regular LashBlast, I though I’d give this new formula a try. I love testing out new beauty products to see what’s out there and to hopefully stumble upon something new and amazing.

image: teenvogue

CoverGirl claims, “..with nylon [it] gives you flake-free lashes up to 80% longer looking.”

Sorry, but 80% longer than what? I only put it on one eye before i closed it back up, grabbed my receipt and went back to the store to get my old faithful standby, Revlon 3D Extreme.

My verdict: while obviously it did make my lashes appear to be a bit longer than the eye without mascara, it made my lashes appear thin and spindly. Not really the look I was hoping for. It’s strictly for length so if you want any sort of volume at all, I’d go for regular LashBlast.. or something else! (pssst…Like Revlon 3D Extreme!)

that makes you feel so damn good when you’ve got then attention of the opposite sex?

ladies?
men?
anyone?

i still dont have the answer.

I am absolutely nail-polish crazy. It’s an illness!

Here are 4 of my 5 most recent polish purchases, 3 of which are from the current Espana collection (Pamplona, Barcelona, Arragon). Not pictured is the fabulous Russian Navy which i will probably end up posting once I wear again.

My favorite is Barefoot in Barcelona, which is truly flattering on every skin tone I’ve seen it on. It’s an interesting neutral that I think will work for every season.

Check out Kanye’s 11-minute short film We Were Once a Fairytale, directed by Spike Jonze.

I like it, personally. I watched it without sound though, which may or may not have lent a bit more significance to the intended message. I love the cinematography. I love sparklers, too. I’m a sucker for sparklers with bottle service. So corny, I know… but i never claimed to be sophisticated

im sure the link will be broken by the time most of you get to this, so if it is just head to YouTube and search it.

for all the music I downloaded last night.

Just kidding. I download all of my music completely legally!!!

Anyhow, I came upon some fantastic gems that just made my day.

In fact, I drove about 25 miles out of my way to get home tonight just to listen to some of the music ridiculously loud in my car. One of my favorite little indulgences is driving the city with my music cranked, just swallowing me up. I also love to sing my little lungs out without the chance of anyone catching me. It’s like personal therapy. And it’s free. Can’t beat that.

I’m sorry to admit it, but Trey Songz just knocks my socks off with his fly/nasty/sexy/sensual/soulful-ness. I used to think he was sorta dorky/trying too hard. I even laughed when he was relaying messages to me through his bodyguard on a flight one time (true story).

I guess he grew up and grew on me! Definitely loving his newest album Ready, which i got my hands on last night. Yum. All I have to say.

check out this screen shot from the video for his current single. i think i’m going to drop my current plans and become an “actress.” i need a job like that girl. ooh la laaaaa!!!

now that I’ve sufficient had my train of thought derailed…

the other highlight of my musical discoveries (yes I know I’m late on this one, too).

Anthony Hamilton- The Point of it All

This album is absolutely fantastic. I’ve loved every single one of his previous ventures, but this one might be my favorite. From the upbeat single “Cool” with David Banner to the painful piano-backed ballad “Hard to Breathe,” I was transfixed. He has such a great command of channeling raw emotion into each song. That’s why he’s one of my favorites, but also why I cannot understand why he doesnt get more attention as an artist. I know his promotion is definitely lacking, but damn… word of mouth! Here I am to say, BUY THIS ALBUM!

these Nina Ricci boots Ive been seeing all over the place are definitely interesting to behold, but I cant said I’d take them if you handed them to me. Too costume-y.

Just in time for Halloween if you want to be a space-age hooker with scoliosis! Score!

just kidding… kinda. I’m so frustrated with my Blackberry I could just stomp it into pieces! I know that’s absolute craziness coming out of my mouth, but the final straw was tonight when it shut down 5 times when I tried to update the software. The first few straws were a) when condensation dried inside the screen making it permanently foggy at the bottom b) when the “A” key stopped working aaaand…c) when the ALT key stopped working. Not easy to text when youre cutting and pasting the “A” into every single word.

oh. Did I mention the trackball also stopped working when I was out of town this week? Ugh.

Time for something new, methinks!
My bday is next month, perhaps a new contraption lies in my future.

but anyhow, on to the great stuff. I went back to Hawaii for a few days this week to escape the monotony of life in the Midwest. It was well needed. I also made a surprise stop in LA for one night and got to see my favorite travel buddy!

here are a few select photos of my jaunt to paradise. enjoy!